India travel ban may change after vaccine protection data, Raab says

BRITAIN’S travel ban relating to India will be lifted once experts can clarify the protection rates of the Covid-19 vaccine against the contagious coronavirus variant, the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has suggested.

India was added to Britain’s travel-ban red list in April, to protect Britons against the new variant of coronavirus. The subcontinent is still battling against a devastating second Covid wave, which has overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums in recent weeks.

There has been no official confirmation when the ban will be lifted.

Raab, who visited India on an official visit last December, said evidence still needed to be collected on the jabs effect against the Indian variant (now known as delta). Once the risk becomes clear, he said there will be more clarity on the lifting of international restrictions.

“In terms of going forward, both in the domestic and international easing of restrictions, I do think it's right to take a careful approach,” Raab said during a virtual event on Thursday (3).

He added that the UK government wanted the so-called red list to be in place for as limited time as possible – but stressed the priority was to protect the wellbeing of people in the country.

Dangers of cancel culture

During the session with the Conservative Friends of India, Raab noted Britain’s shared history with India – including the role of the empire. He said he was proud of British history, but recognised it was not wholly positive.

Despite this, Raab warned of the dangers of so-called cancel culture.

Over the past 12 months, there have been numerous disputes with some critics arguing about the “whitewashing” of British history and petitions to take down statues and plaques dedicated to colonists.

Last month, an Oxford University college said it would not take down a controversial statue of the 19th-century colonialist Cecil Rhodes.

Similar campaigns have been reignited following the Black Lives Matter demonstrations worldwide last year, after the killing in the US of African American George Floyd by a white police officer.

“If you've got stains or black marks on your history, (the cancel culture) says you can't be proud of it, (but) I think it is profoundly morally, socially, and culturally wrong,” Raab said. “If we go down that track, every generation will look back and find something which allows them to rubbish the previous generations history.

“I think the right attitude is to be eyes wide open - to be proud of the bits that we're proud of and to be open and honest about the bits that we're not so proud of, but also fundamentally, constantly want to do better. That's the British way.”

Revealing he studied history for his GCSE and A Levels qualification, Raab said he was happy to learn new parts of history every time he travelled to a new country.

“I love my history, but do I know everything? Almost certainly not,” he said. “Do I learn things every time I go abroad? Yes. And I go there with that spirit and openness.”

'British Indian community play huge role in the UK'

The foreign secretary also reflected upon the contribution of British Indians in the UK.

“Whether it's entrepreneurial, educational or cultural, there are many ways that Indian cultural practices enhance and enrich British life. I think the British Indian community play a huge role in this country domestically,” he said.

Raab also referred to the UK and India’s close collaborative partnerships on numerous industries, including health and technology.

He shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate of the government’s decision to cut funding for foreign aid. Prime minister Boris Johnson plans to reduce funding from 0.7 per cent of the national income to 0.5 per cent.

The temporary reduction has been heavily criticised by MPs on both sides, with some Tory rebels (including former prime minister Theresa May) urging Johnson to reverse his policy.

Critics have warned the policy will result in tens of thousands of deaths around the world.

Raab backed the government’s choice to slash funding, although he admitted “it was not a decision we wanted to take.

“It is a decision we've been forced by circumstances to take,” he said, referring to the economical crisis triggered by the pandemic.

He added: “If we weren't reviewing all aspects of our state, both domestic but also international, I think we would be criticized roundly (for it).”